


Welcome Back

by River_Nix



Series: Red Marking [8]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Mafia AU, Assassin Ric Grayson, Dick Grayson is Not Nightwing, Dick and Ric Grayson are twins, Flirty Dick Grayson, Good Harleen Quinzel, Harleen Quinzel Needs a Hug, M/M, Multi, Prostitute Dick Grayson, Ric Grayson is a Talon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 18:00:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30042561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/River_Nix/pseuds/River_Nix
Summary: Richard’s first night back to work has been pretty peaceful. Was it too much to ask for more nights like that?
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Ric Grayson, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd/Ric Grayson, Koriand'r & Jason Todd, Ric Grayson/Jason Todd, Roy Harper & Jason Todd, Roy Harper & Koriand'r & Jason Todd
Series: Red Marking [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2113110
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	Welcome Back

Richard inhaled deeply as he stepped inside, the loud music traveling to the back of his mind while he stepped towards the bar. It had taken quite a lot of convincing to get Ric to relax when he had proposed the idea of returning to work, but it needed to be done. They’d both spent a few weeks being lazy - well, their version of lazy - while some of the worst of Ric’s wounds healed up. Now, he needed to return so that they could save up enough money to make their big move. It wasn’t as if this would be anything different, anyway. It’s not like he was the type to stand out in the street and wait for a car to drive over and invite him in. No, there were plenty of people here to blend in with or hide behind if anything had a chance of ending badly. The loud music and the countless bodies hardly affected him, as he had the perfect mind-map of where all of the possible exits were. From doors, to windows, to ones he could make himself. 

The only downside was that this was pretty close to Red Hood territory. Or, was he actually in Red Hood territory? Richard wasn’t really sure. Either way, it was one of the few places he actually trusted himself with so the risk would have to be worth it. All of the other establishments; say, like Black Mask’s territories, didn’t have nearly as much security. He would rather not venture out and risk running into someone who had more interest in selling his organs on the black market than actually paying him for his services. At least here, he could be assured that security would help him if he needed some sort of cover. 

(He’s used it before when killing someone who tried to drug him. Pleading self-defense was all too easy.) 

Richard made it to the bar much more quickly than he had imagined. The sign that he had made it was that the lower part of his stomach had actually run into one of the stools. A bit embarrassing, if only because it meant that he wasn’t nearly as focused as he should be. Some turned to give him some attention as he arrived, but he was used to it. After being gone for a while, he felt like he needed to really put the meaning into  _ dress to impress _ to an extent. His popularity often made it so that nothing too revealing or scandalous would need to come out, but tonight, he felt like he needed to push a bit more than his previous lazy attempts. Ric hated it, but Richard had managed to slip out with a black hoodie-shirts (and it was an appropriate name, thank you Ric!). It wasn’t too tight, but it highlighted his chest and his hips a lot more than was probably intended. Below that were some blue shorts that barely came down to his mid-thigh, intended to show off the fullness of his ass. He was aware of how much attention it got him, something to laugh at and find annoying. 

(You didn’t need someone randomly smacking your ass when you were in a public place and you couldn’t violently remove that hand.) 

He needed to perform a bit, despite the clothes being extremely simple. It went without saying that they would be easy to peel off, which...ya know...kinda the most important. Climbing up and turning a bit so he could see the dance floor, Richard began his hunt. 

“What can I getcha, pretty boy?” 

_ Or...maybe put a pause on that.  _ Richard turned slightly, a teasing smile playing at his lips when he registered who had spoken. Of course, he knew most of the barkeepers’ voices by heart at this point, but he would never pass out on a chance to see someone’s face. 

“Quinzel.” It came out as a purr, though that part was unintentional. Harleen Quinzel had, intentionally or not, always ended up as the first one to check in with him when he was conducting his shifts at this place. One could say that the two had formed a small bond that could blossom into friendship if any effort was put in on Richard’s part. For now though, he was content with just acknowledging that she was somewhat safe while he was in here. 

(And wasn’t that just awkward to say? If memory served him correctly, Ric had identified her as one of the Joker’s old colleagues. Maybe even a girlfriend? A girlfriend to a guy that both of them had identified as ‘a monster’ and that Ric had recently put down. Richard didn’t care either way, all that he knew was that she wound up in Red Hood’s employment after a kidnapping mission had taken a different turn.) 

“How’s tonight been for ya?” He allowed himself to fully turn so he could rest his elbows on the table. With how many people there were tonight, he had assumed that it would be a while until Harley was able to tend to him. Not to mention the fact that he’s been noticeable absent for some time. It would be a shame, but a reasonable assumption that he would be gone for a bit longer. “Nobody’s given you too much trouble, I hope?” 

“Nah. Surprisingly chill tonight, given the numbers and all.” A fond eye roll later and Richard found himself a seemingly fresh glass of Bellini sitting in front of him. He couldn’t say it was his usual, but Harley had to know (by now) that fruity alcohol was more preferable. He didn’t know what it was, but his money was on the sweetness of the beverage. It would be a lie to say that he didn’t have a major sweet tooth. “Haven’t seen ya around for some time. Everything cool on your end?” 

There was a genuine concern that Richard could detect, but it wasn’t new. Ever since he had met Harley, it was easy to tell what she was feeling. Even when she tried to hide it during their first meet-ups, Richard could tell that she wasn’t as carefree as she led other people to believe. Again, he blamed the Joker for that defense mechanism. Lord knew how much pain Harley kept inside, if only to please someone who she thought had actually loved her. It was...oddly...flattering, in a small way. In a world like this, people’s hearts could only be described as one word: closed. There was limited space for who could be cared for and, beyond that, if that care was personal or practical. 

“Yeah, just decided to take a small break, ya know?” One thing that Richard appreciated about Harley was that she knew better than to push for an explanation. It made leaving topics vague or borderline not telling it to her straight a lot less...uncomfortable. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been that unexpected, given the fact that they both knew that they had no friendship. Maybe he was just glad to have one person in his life (besides Ric, that is) that could respect personal boundaries. It would be laughable to introduce how many people thought that they had a right to interfere with his life just because he fucked them or got fucked by them. 

Harley was never tense during his explanation, but she still found herself sighing in a relieved manner as he downed a quarter of his drink. That part, Richard could clearly see, was part of her dramatics. Even if she was genuinely worried about him, her response would have been a lot more serious if there was a hint of any real danger. A good portion of her adult life was spent with the Joker’s crew, then the Red Hood Gang, after all. “Oh. Good for you, honey.” She left it at that. 

Richard let her lead the conversation from there, occasionally laughing or snorting when she complained about people vomiting or starting bar fights after getting too drunk. She made too many jokes about how it happened  _ sooooo  _ often while he was taking his break, insisting that: “you being here really made people want to behave. Who would want to embarrass themselves in front of our own lovely Robin?” A quick laugh from both of them followed that little tease, though Richard was quick to point out that everyone had already succeeded in that. One of the most popular things that he hated but found rather amusing, was how many people tried to act dominant in his presence. Or, most people tried to act dominant. 

It was always so...interesting...when he encountered people with various sexual backgrounds. Being a prostitute, it went without saying that he tried (and succeeded) to adapt to the title of  _ people pleaser.  _ Maybe that’s not what it was like for everyone, but Richard had found himself with a larger range of clients when he proved that he could stand in for a Dominant and a Submissive. While he’s never been able to test the possibility that he’d be a natural Switch outside of work purposes, it being confirmed would explain why it was so easy for him to move around a wide spectrum of clients. Ranging from those who needed all control taken away from them to those who wanted all sense of control given to them. In Richard’s case, there would never be a 100% surrender. Not even an 80%. But...well...that’s what acting was for, right? 

That being said, he could say that those who came to him with a more Submissive attitude weren’t as off putting as those who tried to force their control. He knew the difference between someone who (thought) knew they had control vs. someone who was struggling to take it. All too many times had he been “lured” or “pulled in” by someone with way too much bravado. Those who truly pulled the reins didn’t need to assure him or themselves that they knew what they were doing or that their skills were up to par. They didn’t take what they wanted with the paranoia of being overpowered following every movement. It went along with the saying: “He who needs to say he’s the King is not the true King.” 

Richard should know. 

“I’d better let you get back to your shift.” He took another sip, chuckling around the rim of his cup when Harley only pouted at him. If he didn’t know any better, then he’d think that she liked his ‘making fun of other people’ session a bit too much. He didn’t care too much if she mocked him behind his back while he was gone, but the fact that she was always so into how other people sucked was a bit much. Did she just hate everyone here or was he just that good at entertaining? 

“One of these days, I’ve gotta watch you work.” Harley shook her head, reaching out to pat the top of Richard’s dark locks. It was always nice to feel her nimble fingers working through each strand. Something that Richard picked up from his mother was how much volume his hair had. It made everything thick, but fluffy and raised at the same time. Nice for people to touch and nice to feel when he wanted his scalp massaged. “With how people trip over themselves for a taste, it would make for one educational performance. Who knows, maybe I could get myself a nice hunk to take too. Huh?” 

Richard didn’t know if Harley was actually serious, but in the event that she was, he unconsciously started to profile her. She was the type of girl that he could see being unpredictable in bed. While wild in nature and certainly teasing enough to pull off a successful  _ hard to get,  _ he couldn’t sense her preference. At first glance, it was all too simple to fall into the trap of assuming that she’d take control with little to no effort. However, given her past choices in men, it would also be concerningly simple to trigger something. In the end, Richard supposed that it depended on the person. 

“Maybe.” As Harley began to retract her hand, Richard grabbed onto the wrist. Pushing his drink away with his other hand, he laid gentle kisses along the back and made his way up a few inches from her wrist. Glancing up, he flashed her a quick wink. “Or, one of these days, I could just give you a private, personal lesson? Free of charges.” It was a clear invitation, one he hoped didn’t cause any misunderstandings. 

Her make-up made it difficult to tell if she was blushing or not, but the way she giggled was enough to tell that he hadn’t pushed past any boundaries. They were still good with each other. 

“Oh, you.” She brushed the backs of her knuckles against his cheek as he released her. “Such a little charmer.” They held each other’s gaze for a few more moments before bidding their last farewell and parting. He could still see her from his seat and it wasn’t like he wouldn’t be able to call her back, but he needed to resume his hunt for the night. As nice as it was to catch up, it had taken out some needed time. 

Richard’s glass was almost finished by the time he had managed to turn back around. The conversation between Harley and himself had him thinking about multiple things. None of them connected - they were all random thoughts, if he had to categorize them. The only thing similar is that they made choosing a target or posing enough for someone to come to him a bit difficult. One could say that his continued consumption of the Bellini brought him back with the alcohol making him a bit less...coherent? The ratio wasn’t that large and, by no means, was it that strong. Though, it did force his mind to relax a bit when he drank too much at once. 

Perhaps that’s why he wasn’t shocked when someone unfamiliar dropped into the seat next to him, loud enough that his curiosity forced him to meet their eyes instead of just waiting for them to say anything. It was easy to go with the flow when you were slightly buzzed. 

“Heya hot stuff.” 

_ Hehe, cute.  _ Richard raised a brow and hid his grin around his glass as he took another sip. That had to be one of the most used greetings in the book for someone in his world, yet he would normally find it annoying with how unoriginal it was. Sitting here, with someone who clearly didn’t know what they were doing, he could only find it adorable. “Hey yourself.” 

She had to be in her younger years, perhaps the first years of her twenties? The babyface that he was staring at could have very well been an illusion or proof of overused make-up products, but the overall state of her body suggested full maturity. Adorning her somewhat chubby cheeks were light coatings of freckles that scattered across the bridge of her nose to connect the two groups of spots. Her eyes, while wide and innocent-looking, were still dark in color - only highlighted by the fact that they were brown. In the lighting of the room, one would imagine that they’d turn a milk-chocolate color or hazel. And yet, the irises almost blended into her pupils with how dark in shade they were. 

Across the top of her head was some sort of braid-created-crown. The various loops and twists almost made it seem like she was wearing several roses (made of hair) across the expanse. Though, it had to have broken off somewhere in the back since she also had some hair flowing down her shoulders. The lavender-coloring made it look...lovely. It was almost identical to the flower, giving her some sort of delicate appearance via her face. Richard never thought he’d find a moment where he’d call someone’s hair graceful, yet this girl pulled it off. Continuing downwards, he noted that her clothes looked a bit too pressed - a bit too crisp, too clean. Extremely form-fitting as well when he thought about it. 

The dress itself only had one sleeve that went all the way down while the other was absent, the covering of her breast being the only thing present on that side. It left one arm exposed to the open air while the other was draped in black...Satin? Real or fake, it looked like Satin from where Richard was sitting. The base of the dress was extremely glossy, especially with how the lights of the club bounced off of it. The fact that it was black only highlighted the gold patterns that twirled up and around the wearers’ body, almost like a vine making its way up a fence. 

To top the look off, he spotted some dark Corset Heels trailing up her ankles. Those were definitely something you didn’t dance in. Not unless you wanted to take a quick trip to the ER for the purpose of resetting some shattered feet. 

Overall, this girl’s fashion choice was closer to what one would expect in some sort of executive/big company environment. Not a club in one of the shadiest parts of Gotham. But hey, who was Richard to judge? He wouldn’t deny that she was pretty even if she wasn’t really his type. 

He washed down the rest of his drink with ease. “Can I help you?” He set it down gently, unaware of whether or not this girl would jump if his glass happened to make a sharp sound once it hit the counter. 

The way that she nodded her head was a bit too eager. It was almost like she was a child. “I was told of your...profession...by a friend of mine. I got interested.” The lack of the word  _ prostitute  _ had Richard wanting to laugh a bit. In this day and age, there were so many mixed signals and stigmas around people in his line of work that appreciation or disgust ceased to matter. It made the fact that she sounded so shy - like she was trying so hard not to offend him - all that more amusing. “Is there any chance I can buy you a drink?” 

_ Ballsy.  _ He glanced at his drink, though he knew it was empty. It was mostly for show, a little game that he liked to play with people who offered him things. Making them wait while he pretended to consider it either made them more desperate for his attention or pushed out their forceful natures, both attitudes that he could play along with to make the night more interesting. 

“I suppose.” He forced some uncertainty into his tone, noting how the girl before him tense as she picked up on it. It was subtle, one would think she was trained in the art of concealment, but Richard had lived too long in a life that focused on picking out every small detail to be fooled. For now, he’d give her the benefit of the doubt. “What would you order me?” 

She glanced between him and his glass, as if trying to determine what was in it by sheerly looking through it. He wouldn’t be offended if she ordered him something completely different. He’d have to make it clear that he wouldn’t drink it unless it was made in front of him either way. 

“How about what was in that?” She finally spoke, pointing at his empty glass. This time, she sounded less shy and a little more playful. Whatever had been intimidating her a few moments ago seemed to magically disappear. Though, if Richard had to guess, it was more along the lines of finally finding a path. Now that the initial greetings had been exchanged and she had a plan of how she wanted this to go, it was easier? He couldn’t read minds, no matter how helpful that would be. 

“Why not?” Richard decided to indulge her. “It was a Peach Bellini.” He remained silent as she turned to call attention from one of the other bar keeps. Assuming that she wanted his ‘services’, he wouldn’t let himself consume too much alcohol. There was plenty to look for with a new customer and he still needed to figure out how he’d go about business with this girl. So far, her shy beginning seemed to be more confusion than true timidness. Now that she had a clearer path, there was more confidence in her body language and her voice. 

“My name’s Harmony, by the way.” She turned to face Richard again after giving their designated barkeep her order. He couldn’t make it right in front of them, so Richard tried to keep his gaze between the girl and their server. He didn’t want to seem rude by not paying attention to her, but there was no way that he was leaving that drink without supervision if he wasn’t the one to order it. Heck, even when he ordered it, he liked to keep his eyes out. “Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. Just got a little excited, I guess.” 

“It’s cool. Not the worst thing you could have done on the first meeting.” He shrugged one shoulder with a smirk, letting out a small chuckle when she laughed in a nervous manner. It was intentionally open-ended, a light tease with some truth mixed into it. 

“Good to know.” She didn’t seem too offended despite being openly caught off guard. The silence returned for a few moments until their drink was sliding towards the space between them. The barkeep was to the point about the price, gaze locked onto Harmony as she nodded and pulled out her card. How he knew it wasn't Richard paying was anyone’s guess, though if Richard had to take on, he’d guess that it was because Harmony was the one to order. Come to think of it, he actually forgot to pay Harley for that last one as well. Was it on the house? He’d need to make sure to double-check with her before he left. 

“So…” Richard let himself appear lazy as he pulled his fresh glass close, fingers drumming along the rim. Harmony had just received her card back before he had begun to speak. “You heard about me from a friend. Should I be concerned?” Like Ric, he preferred that people pass along his information instead of building some type of net for himself. It made him more difficult to track. Though, there was also the concerning aspect of misinformation getting passed around. 

“Oh, no. She did nothing but sing your praises.” Harmony leaned over a bit to rest her elbow on the counter, tilting her head down until she could rest it on her open palm. Splayed out a bit more, the top of her dress stretched a bit to expose more of the breast. Or, at least the one connected to the sleeveless side of her dress. Whether it was intentional or not escaped Richard, but he doubted it. Openly, Harmony wasn’t making any more sexual advances. Other than her greeting and the fact that she brought up his line of work, one would almost assume that she was just trying to talk to him. Nothing more, nothing less. “Can’t say she’s ever been into guys though. So, it was pretty shocking when she started gushing about a male she had met here that rocked her world for a night. How did you do it?” 

Huh…

That took a bit of a turn that Richard couldn’t say he was prepared for. 

“Are you here to ask me for advice?” Not that he minded too much. He’d never turn away a potential customer that proved that they were no danger to him, but it would be a lie to say that Harmony didn’t fall into the list of people he’d enjoy taking. He still couldn’t sense how he could turn the game into his favor. Though, now that made sense. She wasn’t truly interested in him, per se. It sounded like she was more interested in learning how she could impress someone. “Want some private tutoring?” 

Harmony blushed at that, prompting him to chuckle again. He didn’t even mean for that to be a dirty joke, but looking back on it, he could see how that could possess a sexual undertone. 

“Maybe.” Harmony had taken another uncertain stance. “Can’t say that I’m into the idea of sleeping with a guy either, but it’d be interesting to see what made you special.” The second-guessing was back. It wasn’t the first time Richard had met someone who didn’t seem to know what they wanted, but this was one of those rare cases where he’d probably have to turn Harmony away. It was becoming increasingly clear that she didn’t actually want his service and while it may have been cruel to just dump people when they had no use, he was on a schedule here. He needed to make some money tonight. What, with Ric off of the field and all, it put just the tiniest amount of pressure onto Richard for their financial situation. 

“Not sure how I could help with that sweetheart, sorry.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t offend her too much with that. On any other day, it would be fun to let himself experiment with someone who didn’t know their way around this field. Taking another sip, Richard forced himself to look apologetic as Harmony visibly wilted a bit. “I can’t really show you my tricks if you can’t confirm that you’ll be willing to walk into my bed.” 

Didn’t that just make him sound like a douche? 

“Oh...alright.” Harmony was quick to recover, straightening up a bit as she tilted her head. “You...uh...you have someone…” She pointed towards someone behind Richard and, sure enough, there was someone staring at the two of them with something akin to envy in their eyes. Harmony may not have known who they were, but Richard had plenty of nights to commit that face to memory. He had no idea how long those eyes were staring at him, but he’d be laughing if Harmony had second-guessed herself because she caught that gaze much sooner than he had. 

Ashton Trevors, one of the more frequent ones when it came to Robin. Now, typically, Richard tried not to take the same group of people too many times. It caused personal feelings to arise within the other party. Feelings such as jealousy. Which, looking at Ashton, Richard had a right to worry about. He had no commitment to any of these people unless they were paying him. Although, that also brought up the next point of why he stayed with Ashton - he paid a pretty penny for each session that they had. 

“He’s not gonna kill me, right?” 

Richard turned to shake his head. “Nah. Not in front of me, at least.” His lips curled up a bit as she swallowed audibly. “Sorry for the disappointment, sweetheart. But if you’re not paying for some playtime, then I’ve got a schedule to keep.” 

“O-oh! Of course, of course.” Harmony coughed into her fist, obviously trying to avoid his gaze now. What was with this girl? Her signals were all over the place. First she pretended to be interested, then she got a bit more confident, then she tried to force herself to be interested again, and now she just seemed aimless. It would be suspicious if it didn’t practically stink of a pretend-persona. “Well, I guess I better let you get back to work then, huh?” 

Richard didn’t verbally answer. Just took one more big gulp of his drink before shoving his glass towards Harmony. He didn’t really owe her anything, but he felt like an asshole by just leaving her like this. “Here, get some alcohol in you.” He stood up as she took the glass in shaky hands. “You might want it to ease some of the tension.” 

He left without another word, prepared for when Ashton grabbed onto him and tried pulling him into a secluded area. Robin being absent must have left him feeling more desperate than he normally was. On one hand, it probably meant that he’d ask for more time. On the other, it also meant that Richard could get away with asking him for more money. It would work out in the end. 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick recap to Harley’s story - she was associated with the Joker before being taken in by the Red Hood. I was thinking that he had her kidnapped for ransoming purposes or interrogating her for information, but he was quick to identify the signs that she was being abused by the Joker. He may not have liked her at the time, but I do believe that it may have reminded him about how his mother was abused by his father and that comparison compelled him to do something. So, now she’s safer under his watchful eye while contributing to keeping one of his establishments in order. 
> 
> Other than that, here’s my [Tumblr](https://river-nix.tumblr.com/) if anyone wants to message me or find my Ko-Fi info, commissions are still open. Or if anyone wants to donate to support me, anything is appreciated. Thanks, everyone!


End file.
